Spatial soliton pixels from partially incoherent light

We report what is to our knowledge the first observation of pixellike spatial solitons from partially spatially incoherent light. We created an array of as many as 32 x 32 soliton pixels by launching a spatially modulated incoherent light beam into a noninstantaneous self-focusing photorefraction medium. These solitons were stable and robust, forming a steady-state two-dimensional waveguide array in which optical coupling and control of local waveguide channels could be realized. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.